Through the Arrow
by FlyingInFire
Summary: Jessica isn't really big into movies or books, but after the day shes about to have, she'll wish she'd picked them up when she had the chance. Now, in a new world with strange people she doesn't know, she'll be getting to know everyone up close, and personal. R&R! First attempt.
1. Chapter 1

(( Don't own any of the LOTR characters. No profit made from this, yadayada. Please enjoy the story. :) ))

It was one of her favorite things to do when she had been little. Climbing the trees had always been great fun, and she liked how high she could go. It was always fascinating how much farther she'd been able to see than when she was on the ground. Often, she would lie in these bushes of lilac, staring out into space, thinking or sleeping. The sweet smelling lilac flowers all around her as she did so. The peaceful, light lavender haze as her eyes closed in rest eased her from the days stresses. Things changed, but now, older, she was still able to do that same thing as she'd done when she was so much younger. She lay there lazily in the evening light, her tired eyes drooping gently, but not closing just yet.

She lifted her hand and looked at the simple, silver ring that she wore upon her finger, and marveled at how it glinted and shone for her. She loved her ring, as it, unlike so many others, carried a sense of home in its warm silver metal. She'd once tried to take it off, and keep it off, for a week… it hadn't worked so well. She'd yearned to have it back, and finally gave in and put it back on. That's how close she was to it. The last thing she'd ever gotten from her grandma.

It also carried a sense of family, of the past. It had been her grandmother's ring, and she would now wear it on her finger for always. Her grandma had died some years ago, and had passed it on to Jessica's aunt, which had given it to her as a gift after her graduation.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the pure smell of the crisp spring air, and the soft, wonderful feeling of being alone lulled her quickly into a warm and deep sleep, her tired hazel green eyes closed, letting loose her dreams, with the warm sense of lilacs on the fringes of her sleep…

When she reopened her eyes, all weariness left her as she stared up at a glint of silver, and along that silver shine, shone two barely distinguishing eyes, around a dark shape in front of her. It was so dark that, at first, all she saw was the dark outline of a person. Jessica wondered how they could even see in this darkness, and focused on staying unphased, rather than jump up in a flurry of motion.

She moved to sit up, and felt the arrow touch lightly against her forehead. She froze, not wanting any injury, as she felt how sharp the tip and side of the arrow point really was. She looked up with her eyes, trying to define who he was and what he wore… perhaps it was just her brother's friend, playing yet another of his evil little tricks on her.

"I hate being in this position, can I get up now?"

"You may stand. But do not try to run."

This was not how her brother's friend spoke. This voice was different… Cautiously, she stood, watching him. Somehow, she believed he'd do something to her. It was instinct that told her that if she moved too quickly, he might wound her if she startled him. She started by moving slowly, trying to tell him that she was harmless. Jessica looked at the long bow he had, and the sharp arrow in it, still ready, but now slowly being pointed downward, at the ground. Perhaps, if she was lucky, he wouldn't think she was a threat.

She had to hope he didn't think she was threatening. After all, the last thing she needed was to end up skewered on an arrow.

She looked around, and knew that she was nowhere that she knew. The air smelled different. And it seemed far too quiet. The grass was taller and leaves and twigs were everywhere, according to the small breaks and crinkles under her feet. That and the darkness was a clean giveaway, unless the whole area had had a black out. Her house was gone, and she'd woken up on the ground and not in her lilac bush. With a taste of the air, she knew there wasn't any lilac around.

She noticed that this mans bow and arrow set was primitive compared to some that she had seen before, but that didn't mean it couldn't hurt her. But who the hell was he? Who the hell went around with a bow and arrow set anymore? His bow was gracefully shaped, and for some reason, things began ringing. Things simply weren't right.

"Who…?" She began, but paused when the moon again showed through the thick clouds that night…

He had shimmering golden hair and pale features, and she suddenly realized his clothes were from something like an old movie, but better. He was beautiful, in the whole sense of the word. But then, she remembered where she had seen him…

She nearly fell on her back in surprise. She breathed in, and he looked puzzled at her.

Could he be?

Was it really possible that it could be... him?


	2. where am I?

Jessica remembered seeing parts of the film her and her friends had gone to. Lord of the Rings… but this? This was just outright ridiculous! This guy couldn't be who she thought he was. He was just some fictional character.

"Who are you?" She asked her voice quavering, nervous. Why shouldn't she be? For God's sake, he had a freaking bow and arrow, for gods sake. Things were just a bit too strange with this layout, and she was starting to loose her cool over it.

"Who is asking?"

"Well, I'm Jessica, but I'm… uh, not really from around here, wherever here is." She admitted, looking around some more, as though she needed to emphasize her point. But as far as she could see, there were just trees, and a lot of them, at that. To her, it looked as though she had been thrown, rather _roughly_, at that… into a strange set of dreams. Or perhaps like she had been drugged heavily. But then again, she'd only seen this guy in front of her once before as well. Or so she thought. And that had almost been an accident.

It had been from the poster to the movie Lord of the Rings, she remembered, looking to his face again. What was the name of the blond guy again? She struggled to remember, but she hadn't actually seen the movie. So she couldn't remember his name. She sighed. She was perhaps only one of the few who hadn't seen or read it, while her friends chattered away about it, quite literally, for hours on end. Eventually she'd gotten fed up and had banished talk of either the movie, or the book, or fan fiction from her room unless they wanted her to read the books… instead of gabbing on and on about them ceaselessly. As anyone could imagine, she had been pretty annoyed to find a pile of books on her bed the following day after school, everything that J.R.R. Tolkien had ever written and published on Middle Earth and maybe more, had been put on her bed.

"You are in Rivendel forest."

Jessica began to wish fervently that she had a flashlight so that she could see his face to be certain, as he still had not told her who he was, though she had her suspicions. Ones she was starting to hope weren't right. After all, maybe it was still just a trick. But for now, she just looked at him.

"Um… Rivendel?" Now, where had she heard of that...? She frowned mentally, realizing that she wasn't going to remember anytime soon.

She heard him sigh. "Come with me."

"No way," she protested, staying where she was. He continued to watch her and she noticed the arrow lifting, if only a little. She felt like a floundering fish, suddenly, fighting for words as her nervousness piqued again. Would he really shoot her?

"I don't even know who you are! You could at least tell me your name, I told you mine."

He didn't even pause. "You did not tell me all of it."

"And why would that matter?" she asked, confused. "Why would I need to tell you my entire name? Do you actually want to bother with remembering it all? Jessica is my first name. I have eight in all. Is it really worth it to you to spend the extra time addressing me by all eight names every time you want to talk to me? Thats just a little ridiculous, don't you think?" Honestly, she really didn't want to follow this weirdo anywhere if he couldn't even give her his name. She was pretty sure she couldn't trust him anyway, and this was... just a little too odd. His only proof that he might be trustworthy at all, was that he hadn't done anything to her… yet.

"You are annoying." He stated, hit tone signifying his general annoyance. "Perhaps you should like to stay here and muddle through the forest on your own? I do not fancy any will try to guide you through unless they are willing to be asked a great deal many strange questions, by an even stranger girl."

"I just wanted to know your name," she protested. "Exactly when was it that it apparently became a crime to wonder what someone elses name is? What, did you forget it in a box somewhere and forget it?"

"If you must know, I am Legolas. Now, Lady Jessica… would that you follow me; we could leave the forest behind. Or would you rather stay here and dawdle about in the forest?"

Reluctantly, Jessica followed him, glad that it was a quarter moon, or she might not have been able to follow him at all. 'Rivendel forest, huh?' she though as she walked, looking at him as he went forward, and noting how much noisier she was. Although she was trying to be quiet, she was betting that her Nike airs weren't really going to walk on air for her.

He seemed to, though. Since he made so little noise that she could just scarcely hear him at all. It seemed as though the leaves were trying to make her make as much noise as possible, on the other hand. Go figure that the leaves, branches and anything else that could possibly cause noise, did. She frowned, frustrated at how noisy she was being. Trying to focus on how not to make quite as much noise, she walked straight into a branch. Jerking back in surprise, she took a step back, and went under the branch. "Damned branches. I wish I could see where I was going a bit better." she said, not sure if the moonlight was actually enough. Ducking under yet another of the Jessica-attacking tree branches, she had to admit that it was weird that he hadn't walked into the same branch.

"Hey!" She said, pausing. "That's not fair! You should have walked into it too. You're taller than I am! What gives?"

When he didn't reply, she did't press. He must just be used to the forest, she reasoned. After awhile, Jessica found it a fruitless venture to try to ask him again. She frowned, making sure to avoid any others. After all, what good would it do her to walk into even more of them? She could just see it now, and it wasn't an image she liked, but it was funny. She giggled. Looking up, it was difficult not to gaze at the stars peering through the branches. They were just so bright. It was hard to believe how far from home she must have been. The stars were so different, from what she could see of them through the branches and leaves, and the ever so slightly cloudy night sky. But only a few were recognizable to her.

"Are you faring well?" Came his soft voice, although it sounded like he had expected her to say yes and whine about the mean, Jessica attacking trees, it also sounded slightly concerned. Jessica nodded to him.

"I'm alright. What about you, mister silent foot?"

He shook is head. "I am fine. I have yet to walk into any of the trees," he remarked. The answer sounded snide to her, and she didn't care for it. She smiled politely, hoping to annoy him. 'not to worry,' Jessica thought quietly to herself. 'You haven't ended up in an alternate dimension or anything, now have you? Not like I seem to have.'

Soon, however, they seemed to have reached the so called Rivendel, and it was one of the most beautiful places that she had ever seen, though she had not even seen the inside yet, she somehow knew that its beauty was truly unique, and something to behold. The spires and silverfish white stone gleamed and shone in the moon light, along with the beautiful showers and waterfalls near the sides of the cliffs. She only wished she could see it in its full glory in the sunlight.

"I wish Gimli could see this," Jessica whispered. Legolas looked to her, looking lightly curious.

"Who is this Gimli you speak of?"

"Oh, Gimli? He's just a friend of mine."

"Is he a Dwarf?"

Jessica frowned at him. "No, why?"

He shook his head again. "You will have to see Lord Elrond as soon as we are within Rivendels walls."

Jessica grew nervous. He made it sound like she was going to be in some very big trouble, though she wondered why.

"How come? Is Elrond like some kind of leader here? Or just the guy that makes the decisions?"

A silence ensued as they paused.

"Elrond is like a leader here, yes, and he usually does make the decisions. Any decisions he doesn't make are ones he makes with a council of people he trusts the opinions of. Though, this is his home, and the home of many others. Though I, myself, do not usually stay here for long. I have been sent as a messenger from _my_ home, to here."

"That's why you were protecting it, isn't it? You see this as your home, too, don't you?"

He didn't respond, but continued on, walking at a faster, and for him, smoother speed, towards Rivendell's walls. Jessica had trouble keeping up until they were free of the forest, but soon, when they had reached the inside of the place, which she couldn't help but gawk at, he led her to Lord Elronds chambers. What was bad though, was the nervousness that coiled through her like a venomous snake. Poisoning any hopes she had of seeing the place as harmless.

Legolas knocked lightly on the door, waiting. She took the time to look around, nervous. The door opened, and made the nervous feeling worse, seeing that she was now face to face with a certain Lord Elrond. Or, at least, another pointy-eared elf that looked like he'd woken up on the wrong side of the bed.

Crap.

He looked to Legolas. "Legolas, who is this Lady?" Legolas looked to me; I looked back to him, nervous. What was he expecting me to do? I looked to Lord Elrond. Well, here goes nothing…


End file.
